Africa heads into a busy election year in 2026, with 10 countries scheduled to hold national-level polls. These contests include presidential, parliamentary, and general elections, many of them taking place in politically sensitive environments.
Together, the outcomes will shape governance across regions and influence economic direction.
Below is a clear, month-by-month guide to the elections to watch.
January
Uganda
General elections
January 15
President Yoweri Museveni is seeking a seventh term, marking 40 years since he first took power. Now 81, Museveni removed presidential term limits in 2005 and age limits in 2017. His National Resistance Movement is campaigning on economic continuity and stability.
Read also: Uganda’s 81-year-old president confirms bid for seventh term in office
March
Republic of the Congo
Presidential elections
March 22
President Denis Sassou Nguesso is expected to seek another term, extending his decades long grip on power in Central Africa.
April
Benin
Presidential elections
April 12
Read also: Nigeria condemns failed Benin power grab as government restores order
Libya
Presidential and parliamentary elections
Expected in April
Djibouti
Presidential elections
Must be held by April
President Ismail Omar Guelleh is widely expected to extend his rule in the strategically important Horn of Africa state.
Cape Verde
Parliamentary elections
Expected in April
June
Ethiopia
General elections
June 1
The polls come as Ethiopia continues to manage post conflict tensions and deep political reforms under Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
Read also: Ethiopia inaugurates continent’s biggest dam as Egypt warns of ‘existential threat’
August
Zambia
General elections
August 13
December
The Gambia
Presidential elections
December 5
South Sudan
General elections
Expected December 22
